I just got some corms of the cyclamen. I didn't know the leaves stay this late in the year. Gives me something to look forward to. How does the arum italicum handle the winter if it starts growing now? I would think that a winter growing plant in our area would suffer horribly under the extreme colds.

2 degrees above this morning and the arum leaves were a bit wilted but picked up as soon as the temperature rose. It's amazing to see them and the cyclamen leaves, still fresh and green when the rest of the world is frozen hard.
The bergenia has turned mahogany red but the leaves are still intact. I finally have enough so I'll be able to pick a few leaves for indoors.

I have a question, if I may: I bought some Arum Italicum Pictum through the mail in the fall of last year. I was told that they might be marginally hardy here, and to overwinter the bulbs/corms in the garage then plant them fresh in the spring. I did that this year about three weeks ago. I was wondering if anyone has experience with planting these from ( I say bulbs, but they look more like a corm) from bulb form? Do you think I will have to wait until fall to see anything coming up through the soil? I am just curious. The bulbs looked like they held up well over the winter. They were firm and had little 'nubs' on them. I have them on the south side of my house near a lilac bush, part shade, relatively moist soil ( not considered wet, on the drier side of moist ).

Still have foliage on mine but they are preparing to go dormant. I would think that yours won't sprout until fall. Mine ought to bloom (if you can call that thing a bloom) about now but they don't always flower and I've never had seed heads. They are in deep shade which may keep them from blooming.
Generally speaking I think things are better off planted than stored. Was really pleased this year to see the ornithagalum nutans back in full flower - this is supposed to be zone 6 but it's been up and blooming for several years now and seems to be multiplying.

You must have the magic touch....orinthagalum has never come up for me here...I don't recall which one I tried though...I believe it was white/cream..but that doens't tell you much.

Thanks for the info on the arum. I wasn't sure about storing them, but I do know I have lost things that were marginally hardy. I thought maybe giving it a good full season in the ground before winter might have helped. Your theory is probably right, better in the ground. I hope to see it in the fall.

Short story: In 1992/3 I had a struggling consulting business and I started gardening to relieve stress.

Ordered a whole bunch of autumn-planted bulbs from some outfit like Dutch Gardens, including arum italicum. Planted them quite near the house in a shady spot with a southern exposure (one of my zone-cheating spots, but I didn't know that then). They've been in the ground ever since and have survived and increased considerably. They produce the spathe (sp?) thingie and the red "berries" and have survived animal chomping (not sure if deer, woodchucks, rats, whatever).

Now, in theory I'm in a slightly warmer zone than you but not by much. Could you find a "zone-cheating" spot in your garden?